Method for reducing CO2, CO, NOX, and SOx emissions

Abstract

Industrial combustion facilities are integrated with greenhouse gas-solidifying fertilizer production reactions so that CO2, CO, NOx, and SOx emissions can be converted prior to emission into carbonate-containing fertilizers, mainly NH4HCO3 and/or (NH2)2CO, plus a small fraction of NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. The invention enhances sequestration of CO2 into soil and the earth subsurface, reduces N03- contamination of surface and groundwater, and stimulates photosynthetic fixation of CO2 from the atmosphere. The method for converting CO2, CO, NOx, and SOx emissions into fertilizers includes the step of collecting these materials from the emissions of industrial combustion facilities such as fossil fuel-powered energy sources and transporting the emissions to a reactor. In the reactor, the CO2, CO, N2, SOx, and/or NOx are converted into carbonate-containing fertilizers using H2, CH4, or NH3. The carbonate-containing fertilizers are then applied to soil and green plants to (1) sequester inorganic carbon into soil and subsoil earth layers by enhanced carbonation of groundwater and the earth minerals, (2) reduce the environmental problem of NO3-runoff by substituting for ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and (3) stimulate photosynthetic fixation of CO2 from the atmosphere by the fertilization effect of the carbonate-containing fertilizers.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbonate-containing fertilizers, wherein said emissions are reacted to produce NH 4 HCO 3  fertilizer according to the formula:  
       
         
           2CO 2 +N 2 +3H 2 +2H 2 O→2NH 4 HCO 3 ↓;  
         
       
        and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizer to soil and plants.  
     
     
       2. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbonate-containing fertilizers, wherein said emissions are reacted to produce NH 4 HCO 3  fertilizer according to the formula:  
       
         
           5CO 2 +4N 2 +14H 2 O+3CH 4 →8NH 4 HCO 3 ↓;  
         
       
        and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizer to soil and plants.  
     
     
       3. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbon-containing fertilizers, wherein said emissions are reacted to produce (NH 2 ) 2 CO fertilizer according to the formula:  
       
         
           CO 2 +N 2 +3H 2 →(NH 2 ) 2 CO↓+H 2 O;  
         
       
        and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizer to soil and plants.  
     
     
       4. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbon-containing fertilizers, wherein said emissions are reacted to produce (NH 2 ) 2 COfertilizer according to the formula:  
       
         
           CO 2 +4N 2 +2H 2 O+3CH 4 →4(NH 2 ) 2 CO↓;  
         
       
        and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizer to soil and plants.  
     
     
       5. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbonate-containing fertilizers, wherein said emissions are reacted according to the following reaction pathway:                    
        wherein R is at least one selected from the group consisting of H 2  and CH 4 ; NO x  is at least one selected from the group consisting of NO, NO 2 , N 2 O, N 2 O 3  and N 2 O 4 ; and SO x  is at least one selected from the group consisting of SO 2  and SO 3 , and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizers to soil and plants.  
     
     
       6. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbonate-containing fertilizers, and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizers to soil and plants, wherein said fertilizers are applied in conjunction with application of at least one selected from the group consisting of calcium and magnesium fertilizers, mineral products, and fly ash to soils to enhance the formation of earth mineral carbonates according to at least one of the formulas selected from the group consisting of:  
       
         
           HCO 3   − +[Ca(OH)] + →H 2 O+CaCO 3 ↓ 
         
       
       
         
           Ca 2+ +2HCO 3   − →CaCO 3 ↓+(H 2 CO 3 )aq  
         
       
       
         
           HCO 3   − +[Mg(OH)] + →H 2 O+MgCO 3 ↓ 
         
       
       
         
           Mg 2+ +2HCO 3   − →MgCO 3 ↓+(H 2 CO 3 )aq.  
         
       
     
     
       7. A method for reducing the emissions of industrial combustion facilities, comprising the steps of: 
       collecting emissions from said industrial combustion facilities,  
       reacting said emissions to form at least carbonate-containing fertilizers, and  
       applying at least a portion of said fertilizers to soil and plants, wherein said fertilizers are applied to soils and water is then applied to bring the carbonates down into groundwater and subsoil earth layers, the carbonates being deposited at the earth subsurface by carbonation reaction with earth minerals according to at least one of the formulas selected from the group consisting of:  
        HCO 3   − +[Mg(OH)] + →H 2 O+MgCO 3 ↓ 
       
         
           Mg 2+ +2HCO 3   − →MgCO 3 ↓+(H 2 CO 3 )aq  
         
       
       
         
           HCO 3   − +[Ca(OH)] + →H 2 O+CaCO 3 ↓ 
         
       
       
         
           Ca 2+ +2HCO 3   − →CaCO 3 ↓+(H 2 CO 3 )aq.